By Moses Leos III.
Cold temperatures couldn’t stop a crowd of 17,051 from honoring 23 seniors at Bobcat Stadium on Saturday.
But optimism was dashed, as offensive woes troubled Texas State (6-5, 2-4) in a 38-7 loss to Western Kentucky (7-4, 3-3).
Texas State’s struggles occurred early and often. The Bobcats only gained 12 total yards in the first quarter, with three turnovers.
Two of those were interceptions thrown by Texas State quarterback Tyler Arndt, who started for freshman Tyler Jones, who was nursing a fractured throwing hand suffered last week.
Texas State head coach Dennis Franchione said Jones didn’t practice much of the week. Arndt was the best option for team success, he said.
| Texas State running back Robert Lowe (28) is being chased down by several Western Kentucky defenders during Saturday’s home finale at Bobcat Stadium. Western Kentucky’s run game overpowered Texas State, as the Bobcats were handed a 38-7 loss, placing bowl hopes in jeopardy. (Photo by Lincoln Ramirez) |
While the offense labored, the defense initially stood firm. They held down Hilltopper running back Antonio Andrews to only 24 yards in the first quarter. Andrews sits atop the Football Bowl Subdivison (FBS) in all-purpose yards, averaging 219.2 yards per game (ypg).
The Bobcats also kept Western Kentucky out of the end zone, giving up a field goal to start the second quarter.
“It doesn’t matter where ball ends up. It’s our job to keep them from scoring,” senior defensive back Aaron Matthews said. “The defense has to show up regardless.”
That all changed in the second frame.
Arndt was benched for Jones to start the quarter. However, Jones was injured on his third play from scrimmage, allowing Arndt to return.
He threw a third interception, forcing Franchione to bench him for good. Arndt finished the game 1 of 5, passing for only five yards.
“There were bad decisions (made by Arndt),” Francione said. “They were throws that didn’t look good from where I was standing.”
The Hilltopper run game woke up. Andrews scored two touchdowns against a Bobcat defense that had been on the field for over 17 minutes in the half. They were on the field for 34 minutes in the game.
A 47-yard romp by Andrews put Western Kentucky up 17-0.
But Texas State fought back.
Three minutes before halftime, Jones led the Bobcats on a 12 play, 65-yard drive. He lobbed a six-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Smith, who after review, maintained possession despite having the ball knocked out of his hands. Jones went 14 of 25 for 104 yards, throwing one interception.
The touchdown was the catalyst for Jones. He said the cold weather helped reduce swelling in his injured throwing hand.
Texas State was only down 17-7 at half. But that was as close as Texas State would get, as Western Kentucky’s rush attack took over.
The Bobcat’s run defense, which was giving up a Sun Belt best 128 ypg, was dominated. They gave up 193 of the Topper’s 321 total rush yards solely in the second half.
According to Franchione, power-run teams have flummoxed the Bobcats over the past two weeks. He believed it was a tough transition from the no-huddle, spread offenses they faced.
Missing tackles was also an issue.
“A couple of missed tackles and (yards after contact) hurt us,” senior linebacker D.J. Yendrey said. “They run [well]. That’s about it.”
While the defense held the Toppers scoreless in the third, the team exploded for 21 unanswered points in the fourth.
The Hilltoppers run game thrived. Texas State’s run offense couldn’t.
Running back Robert Lowe and the Bobcat run game were stymied from the onset, as they could only gain seven yards in the first quarter. Texas State only amassed 21 net yards on the ground, despite averaging 180 rushing ypg.
A lack of success in the trenches kept Texas State from rushing the ball. Western Kentucky’s defensive interior played a big part.
“[The offensive line] didn’t play well. [They] got dominated by [Western Kentucky’s] defensive line,” Franchione said. “If you don’t block people, you don’t get any yards.”
Texas State will try to regroup with one game remaining. They travel to Troy University on Friday.
Franchione was well aware that a seventh win may be needed to secure bowl eligibility. He understood a 6-6 Sun Belt team would not compete for an at-large bowl bid.
The Bobcats look to move forward, focusing on the Trojans.
“We have to put this one behind us. The last (game) is a big one – one last chance to prove something,” Yendrey said. “We have to secure next week.”
